sold

My last two aponogeton crispus. How I am going to miss that plant. As the smaller one was even smaller than I had estimated - I would have priced it lower had I seen it better before removing from the tank- the buyer accepted some bacopa cuttings to make it up.

I usually re-use plastic containers from fresh herb purchases- I save them up- and a small box cut down to fit them will travel first class. But for these plants I took the tops of several plastic egg cartons, snipped the short ends to fit them together. (I usually save these to use as drip trays- they are the perfect width to fit in the windowsill, with three or four small pots. The box ends up a bit oversize so has to go priority mail but I don't mind- it will get there safely.

Now my bacopa thicket is short and stubby- but multiplied in size. I took the cuttings just above where leaf die-off had occured on the lower portions. Then cut to the ground and replanted the short bare tops. They ought to regrow. I've spread the bacopa thicket thus to the left, under the capruonii. Which really has space now. My two new apono capuronii bulbs had to get shifted while I pulled the apono crispus- as I expected, they hadn't grown any roots yet- and they are both sprouting!

Siphoned out ten gallons of water while I was removing those plants- and still there was mulm and unearthed ferts from root tabs scattered through the water column. I tried to clear it all out. The shrimps look fine, and the tetras are not irritated- but some of my kuhlis are. When later I fed gold pearls the kuhlis went nuts digging after the bits in the substrate, and some of them would suddenly jolt back up as if shocked- I think they ran into fert particles?

I've replaced my heater, too- the prior one, although barely two years old, had water bubbles inside the glass. I removed it and dried it off and a day later there was still water inside it. Which means it's leaking somewhere I guess, and would fail soon. I got a new 100w aqueon pro, now adjusting in the tank. It's nice and sleek, unobtrusive with the black housing.

ps: Perry in the window tank is shut up in the fry box again. So he can ease his bloated stomach over several days' fasting, and I can give the cories shrimp pellets without interference. I think I'm going to get tired of this soon, and have to re-home the cories - sigh-.